Emily Upjohn Takes to the Pretty Polly

Bringing genuine star quality to Saturday's G1 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes, the Gosdens' Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) makes her belated Curragh debut having missed the 2022 Irish Oaks due to a freak aviation issue. What would have happened had her flight not been cancelled that July we'll never know, but her performance in last year's G1 Coronation Cup tells us she probably would have a Classic on her portfolio. Almost certainly guaranteed to be suited by this fair, galloping track, the 5-year-old may be peaking now after missing the beat during the spring and early summer.

“In fairness to Emily Upjohn, we trained her in the winter to go to Dubai and that doesn't agree with a lot of fillies,” Gosden Sr explained. “We let her down in April and she really did herself well. I was having a little trouble getting her back in the zone again and she very much needed her race in the Coronation Cup. She was carrying plenty of weight and condition, but she worked well on the July Course and she'll head for what looks like a very competitive edition of the Pretty Polly.”

One who did make the Irish Oaks was Juddmonte's fellow TDN Rising Star Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}), only to fall just short last term having looked the surefire winner until the dying strides. Trainer Ralph Beckett has every reason to be positive given the nature of her comeback six-length success in York's G2 Middleton Fillies' Stakes last month. “She's in good shape and I have been very pleased with her since York,” he said. “There are plenty of fast-ground elements in her pedigree and she's a good moving filly.”

Stay the Course…

There was heartbreak in this for Hughie Morrison 12 months ago as Ben and Sir Martyn Arbib's Stay Alert (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was second to Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) having been interfered with by that winner in the closing stages. Off the mark on her seasonal return in Newmarket's G2 Dahlia Stakes last month, the homebred looks to have progressed again. “Time heals and we move on,” Morrison said, reflecting on the misfortune of last year. “She's done herself well and has done very well since she ran. My concern always is whether I've done enough with her, but travel can refine them down a bit and we're just hopeful that she'll run her race, perform to the levels she did at Newmarket and we'll see how good she is.”

“I think both times she's gone over to Ireland, I feel I may have left a gallop short. It's been quite dry in the last two weeks, so I haven't overworked her,” he added. “If Emily Upjohn turns up as she was as a three-year-old or when winning the Coronation Cup last year we'll have to be very good to beat her and Bluestocking on the formbook looks exceptional as well.”

Next Step for Jan Brueghel…

It is not the norm for a 3-year-old introduced in late May to be handed a TDN Rising Star tag, but Ballydoyle's Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was simply sensational in his eight-length debut offering and he is pitched against older horses including Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's progressive Epsom handicap winner Bolster (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the G3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes back at The Curragh on Saturday. A full-brother to the Irish Derby hero Sovereign (Ire), he is highly thought of by Ryan Moore who said, “This is obviously a much stiffer test and hopefully this imposing Galileo colt can deliver in this higher grade,” he said.

Enchanting Presence…

   Also at The Curragh, the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes sees Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Truly Enchanting (Ire) (No Nay Never) bid to emulate the feat of the stable's Matrika (Ire) who 12 months ago made the quick turnaround from Royal Ascot a successful one here. Unlike that fellow daughter of No Nay Never who had been second in the Albany, Truly Enchanting was only 13th tackling the sharper test of the G2 Queen Mary Stakes but this sixth furlong is much likelier to suit being from the family of Galileo (Ire) et al. She is joined two winning stablemates in January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) who scored at Gowran Park and Easy Mover (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who opened her account at and Fairyhouse, while Bond Thoroughbred's highly-regarded Listowel maiden scorer American Bar (Ire) (No Nay Never) is a fascinating contender from the Paddy Twomey yard.

Kinross going out for last year's G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret | Scoop Dyga

Kinross Ready for Belated Return…

Withdrawn from Royal Ascot due to the fast ground last Saturday, the decision to put Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) on the Tapeta for Newcastle's G3 Chipchase Stakes looks a good call with the dry spell unrelenting nationwide. Needing to get going this term, the 2022 G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 British Champions Sprint hero could be ideally suited to this stiff six furlongs and sets the form standard.

“We just felt running over six furlongs on fast ground at Ascot would be too much for him at his age now and the extra week probably isn't a bad thing,” owner Marc Chan's racing manager Jamie McCalmont said. “Starting back on a synthetic surface looks a suitable thing to do and he should be competitive. Obviously he'll improve from the run, but we'll see.”

“If he comes out of Newcastle well, there's no reason why you wouldn't run back two weeks later in the July Cup, but it just depends on how he comes out of the race. After that, there's Goodwood for the Lennox Stakes and there's the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville around that time as well, so you've got both of those options.”

A Familiar Tale?

Marc Chan has another big runner on the day in the 2-year-old filly Tales Of The Heart (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in Newmarket's Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' Stakes. Owned in partnership with Andrew Rosen, the Kempton maiden winner who was a 400,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 purchase bids to emulate the fellow Ralph Beckett-trained Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) who took this two years ago for the same connections. Nick Bradley Racing and Elaine Burke's Teej A (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is one of her key opponents, having beaten the subsequent G2 Coventry Stakes winner Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) at Chester last month, but her subsequent Woodcote Stakes win has taken some knocks.